Fire Chapter 19: The Gathering
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: The Avatar and his friends prepare for the final battle, but there are complications that none of them could have foreseen.
1. Schooled

**Disclaimer:** the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion. Furthermore, any similarities between the plotline of this fan series and canon are purely coincidental.

**_This is the 19th in a series, so please read the preceeding stories before continuing!_

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Previously on Avatar

"We need to go over our next move," Sokka announced to the gathered group.

"So you've come up with a plan then," Zuko stated.

"Well, sort of," the warrior answered nervously. "It's…kind of risky, actually, but it's probably our best shot now."

"What is it?" asked Aang hesitantly. The other boy drew a deep breath before plunging ahead with his response.

"We use the comet."

* * *

"Commander Huo is already planning a coup," Sokka stated calmly. "He means to put you on the throne."

This stopped Zuko dead in his tracks, and he whirled to face Sokka, his voice little more than a humbled whisper of disbelief.

"_What_?"

"If we can find a way to get in touch with him," Sokka elaborated, "then he might be able to get us the firepower we need to take the palace."

* * *

"Even if we can _find_ Huo," Zuko started tiredly, "and he _does_ bring troops willing to help us, that doesn't change the fact that the comet will make Ozai more powerful than you can imagine. You don't _know_ what he's capable of the way I do. And when the comet comes, he'll be _unstoppable_."

"Not if he can't bend," interjected Ty Lee timidly.

* * *

Zuko leaned back into the crevice, keeping a secure hold on Katara as he settled her alongside him in as comfortable and safe a position as they could manage. She was practically in his lap, but there was nothing to be done for it.

"You know," mused Katara drowsily, breaking Zuko from his thoughts, "Under any other circumstances this would be practically scandalous."

"It probably is anyway," he replied lightly. "Are you sure you'll be able to live with yourself after this?"

"Hrm, that depends," she teased back with a yawn, "will you still love me in the morning?"

Zuko's quiet voice hummed through the tiny crevice, "Much longer than that."

"Zuko," Katara murmured uncertainly, "I was only joking."

Fearful of what she might find, she nonetheless tilted her head up to look at his face, only to see him smirking down at her.

"I know."

Zuko waited until her breathing evened out into a slow, steady rhythm before risking a glance down at the girl cradled in his arms, and he tenderly freed a stray lock of hair from her eyelashes. Letting out a long sigh, he bent his head over hers until his lips brushed the top of her scalp, whispering a silent, pained confession into her dark tresses.

"But I _wasn't_.

* * *

"So…you're saying that the reason I can't make lightning is…because I have inner _turmoil_."

"It might not even be something you're fully aware of," Zuko tried to console quickly, "I mean, it took me a long time to figure all this out for myself. But Uncle was right. Once I did, I was able to master lightning. We just need to find out what's bothering _you_. But we'll sort it out, Aang, I promise…"

"Actually, I already know what it is" Aang stated quietly, "It's the same thing that's keeping me from entering the Avatar State."

Any surprise Zuko felt at this admission was quickly overshadowed by the growing sense of dread that suddenly gripped his heart when Aang lifted his head once more, showing the prince with startling clarity the overwhelming anguish reflected in the boy's eyes. And it was a tormented voice that answered Zuko's unspoken question.

"_It's Katara_."

**

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Fire Chapter 19: The Gathering

Aang and Zuko faced off against one another on the broad rocky beach, their expressions stern and grim, and their bodies rigid in preparation of battle. Palpable tension hung in the air between them, sizzling with the heat of their animosity as each waited for the other to make the first move.

A safe distance from them, Katara watched with anxious horror, unable to tear her eyes from the scene, but knowing better than to get involved. Over and over, she silently reminded herself that this was something they both _needed_ to do. But it was still painful to watch, and she almost wished they'd stop stalling and just get to it already. Mere seconds after this thought crossed her mind, her wish was granted.

Zuko struck first.

With a mighty roar, he launched a searing wave of flames so violent that Katara could feel the heat rolling off of it from where she stood. Her breath caught in her throat, then released uneasily as Aang raised a wall of stone to block the assault at the last moment. Not waiting for the younger boy to recover or respond in kind, Zuko attacked again, this time sending a volley of short but intense bursts that obliterated the barrier in an acrid explosion of scorched rock.

But Aang was already on the move, having used the brief diversion to conjure an air scooter, which he was now dashing forward on, slinging tendrils of water ahead of him in an effort to get in a strike of his own. Zuko was prepared for this however, and within seconds, the air was filled with billowing steam as a fiery wall erupted around him, evaporating the missiles before they could reach him.

Another jet of flame then shot out from the prince's foot, zipping along the ground right underneath Aang and consuming the ball of spinning air upon which he rode. With a startled yell, the Avatar lept away from the now very hot seat, landing with a thud on the rough ground.

He immediately had to evade the next round of blasts, using his fire bending to deflect the blows before finally sending a return sweep, and forcing Zuko back a few steps to defend. Or so the Avatar thought.

Much to Aang's surprise, his own attack suddenly came hurtling right back at him, and he only just avoided being roasted to a crisp. Once more, he was on the defensive: blocking, dodging, and mostly just trying to keep from being flambéed.

All the while, Katara watched, her hands unconsciously wringing together as her eyes followed the jets of flame back and forth across the beach. She was so engrossed in the battle that she didn't even react when Momo landed on her shoulder, equally transfixed with worry by the brutal fight unfolding before them.

There was a brief pause as the two combatants took a moment to regain their breath, glaring at one another as they gasped for air.

"You're never going to win if you just react, Aang," snarled the prince. "You have to _act_!"

This last word was punctuated by an intense stream of flames, answered by a ripple of crunching earth rocketing toward the prince and attempting to throw him off his feet. But Zuko merely used the momentum of his upward thrust to somersault over his foe, shooting fire from hands and feet as he tumbled back to the ground, only to find his target gone.

Alert for a renewed assault, the prince turned warily, seeking any disturbance in the ground that would give the Avatar's position away. He felt, rather than saw, the incoming jab of earth aimed for his torso, and smashed it with flaming fist, melting the tip of the stone into a hissing puddle of molten rock before spinning around to do the same to another, and then another.

When Appa's familiar low rumble and the sound of her brother's footsteps came up beside Katara, she barely glanced in their direction before returning her attention back to the fight. Sokka crossed his arms over his chest as he took in the scene. A few moments later, Renzu and Lo'Khi joined them as well.

"I see Aang hasn't managed to get a chi block on Zuko yet," Renzu remarked needlessly.

"No," confirmed Katara quietly.

The teens fell silent after that and observed as the battle raged on.

Aang was out of the ground now, and still trying to pin Zuko without success. Both were oblivious to their spectators, solely focused on each other. It was obvious by their labored breathing and slowing attacks that they were both growing tired.

"It feels wrong to just stand and watch them like this," Sokka said forlornly.

Katara nodded solemnly, her voice sounding small and frail. "Yeah, it does."

Momo apparently shared this sentiment, for he had covered his eyes with his tiny hands and merely peeked from in between them from time to time before hastily clapping them over his face once more with pitiful chirrups of dismay. After one such display, Katara reached up and patted the little lemur consolingly.

"Me too, Momo."

Meanwhile, the fight continued, Zuko's attacks becoming even more heated and ferocious while Aang tried his best to retaliate. Massive pillars of earth shot up from the ground in a desperate bid to halt the unrelenting prince. Icicles zinged through the air only to dissipate as they met Zuko's blistering last-second defenses.

They were becoming frustrated, tired…sloppy.

Finally seeing an opening, Aang seized the opportunity and dashed forward with a yell. Just before his fingers struck however, he realized it had been a feint, and before he knew what was happening he was flung to the ground, the air knocked from his lungs with Zuko holding him firmly down.

A feral shout erupted from the prince as a blazing fist descended straight toward the prone air bender's unprotected face. Powerless to defend himself, Aang cried out and flinched away from the inevitable blow.

With a gasp, Katara rushed forward to intervene, the other three boys following after.

The wreath of flames around Zuko's hand winked out a bare instant before they made contact with flesh. Still cringing, Aang cracked an eye open, only to find his friend glaring down at him furiously.

"This is where you _lose_," he declared coldly.

Katara arrived just as the prince stood back up, his expression a mixed scowl of disappointment and disgust. She dropped to her knees beside Aang,

"Aang, are you okay?" she fretted, frantically checking his face for any sign of a burn.

"I'm fine," he answered wearily as he let her help him back to his feet.

"Good," said Zuko tersely. Stepping a few feet away, he took up his battle position once more before commanding evenly, "Now try it again."

But before Aang could obey, Katara stepped forcefully between the two boys.

"No."

"He's never going to get this if he doesn't keep trying, Katara," Zuko explained harshly, not relaxing from his stance.

"And he's never going to succeed if he's too tired to fight."

"Tired?" breathed Zuko incredulously, finally dropping his arms only to begin gesticulating as he ranted. "_Tired_? He's going to get _tired_ when he faces my father! And what do you think will happen _then_? You think Ozai is going to say, 'hey, you look a little worn out? Why don't we take a break and have some _tea_'!"

Undaunted by his shouting, Katara replied firmly, "I understand where you are coming from, Zuko. But right now, he's still just training, and you two have been at this for hours now. That's enough for one day."

"Zuko's right, Katara," Aang interjected faintly. "I need to do this. I'll be fine."

"I appreciate how badly you want to get this, Aang," she replied gently, then throwing a meaningful look at Zuko, she added coolly, "but you aren't the _only_ one I'm worried about."

The prince blinked in surprise at this statement, before diverting his gaze to the ground, seeming thoroughly chastised. And he didn't protest when Katara put a comforting arm around Aang's shoulders and began to lead the younger boy away with Appa ambling after them.

"Come on; let's get you something to eat."

Sokka and his friends remained quiet during the entire exchange, watching as Katara threw one last sorrowful glance over her shoulder at Zuko. But he refused to meet her eyes, looking up only after she and Aang were gone, his face clouded with regret. Without a word, the prince turned and walked the opposite direction down the beach.

Lo'Khi rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he glanced from one departing bender to the other.

"You know, Renzu," he remarked casually, "I'm beginning to think you're right."

The other boy only shrugged as he answered smugly, "Told ya."

"I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself, though," admitted Lo'Khi.

"I think it's kind of romantic," chimed in Ty Lee dreamily, startling all three boys. They had no idea when she'd even showed up.

Sokka's confusion, however, was two-fold.

"What are you all _talking_ about?"

They leaned around one another to stare at the water tribe warrior in amazement, and he gazed back at them blankly.

"What?"

The three of them looked from one to the other before turning back to Sokka.

"You seriously haven't noticed, have you?" chuckled Renzu.

"Noticed what?"

"Don't feel bad, I didn't realize it either until Renzu said something," said Ty Lee confessed. "But it's hard to miss now."

"Hard to miss _what_?" demanded Sokka with uncontained frustration.

"That Prince Zuko likes your sister," Lo'Khi explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

It took a moment for this declaration to register in Sokka's brain, but when it did, he almost fell over laughing with disbelief.

"You've _gotta_ be kidding!" he retorted. "Those two bicker all the time!"

"But he always lets her win," Lo'Khi pointed out.

"And Zuko _never _lets someone else win," added Ty Lee knowingly.

"He's just trying to stay on Katara's good side," Sokka said dismissively. "She's a real handful if you make her mad."

"Right," replied Renzu, unconvinced. Then, as if deciding to drop the matter, he quickly changed the subject as they all began to make their way back to the house. "So what was with all the room switching earlier today?"

Sokka shrugged unconcernedly. "Zuko said he didn't care for the view, so he convinced Katara to trade with him."

The other three exchanged knowing looks before Renzu spoke again.

"Didn't like the view, huh?"

"Yeah."

Lo'Khi jumped into the discussion with, "The view of the _courtyard_…"

"The courtyard with the big fountain of _water _just outside the window…" prompted Renzu slyly.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

But rather than answer, the three teens laughed and Lo'Khi clapped a companionable hand on Sokka's shoulder and grinned.

"You'll figure it out eventually."

With that, they walked ahead as the befuddled and skeptical warrior stared after them. He looked to Momo sitting on the rocky incline nearby.

"Well, what do _you_ think?" he asked tersely.

The lemur merely chattered something incomprehensible before taking to the air in the direction of the manor, leaving Sokka standing there shaking his head.

They _had_ to be imagining this. Zuko couldn't _possibly_ have a thing for Katara. It was simply ridiculous.

He turned back toward the beach where the prince sat alone on a boulder staring out over the ocean. _Definitely_ ridiculous.

But despite Sokka's self-assurance, there was now a lingering seed of doubt, and he resolved that perhaps he should pay more attention to those two.

Just in case.

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**Author's note:** I almost forgot to mention that a new story illustration from the last 'episode' has been added to my deviantArt page. Enjoy!


	2. Precipice

Stepping out into the courtyard where everyone was gathered and waiting for dinner, Katara glanced worriedly at the dishes of food she was carrying and wondered if there would be enough. It was one thing to cook for four, or even six, but now she was cooking for _eight_, and over half that number was comprised of growing, _hungry_ boys.

She set the platters down in the center of the assembled teens and watched as they lustily filled their plates. Chopsticks dived into the hearty fare as they began eating, only to pause when Lo'Khi's uncertain voice broke through the sounds of clattering cutlery.

"Um…shouldn't we wait until everyone is here?"

Everyone stopped mid-bite and looked around, trying to discern who was missing from the large group. A quick head count revealed that someone was, in fact, absent.

Katara sighed.

"No, you guys go ahead and dig in," she said with well-practiced maternal patience. "I'll find Zuko."

* * *

Long rays of late-afternoon sunlight bathed the sky in hues of orange and gold as Katara made her way down to the beach where the training session had taken place earlier that day. Zuko's shirt was still lying on a large rock next to Aang's, and with a lenient smile Katara picked up both pieces of clothing and draped them over her arm before following the footsteps imprinted in the sand.

The trail eventually led her to a low grassy hillock overlooking the beach, and she wasn't the least bit surprised to find the prince sitting atop it, staring out at the ocean. His body stiffened slightly at the sound of rustling grass as she approached, but he neither turned nor spoke when she stopped next to him.

From her position, all that was visible of him was the expressionless, ruined half of his face, but she didn't have to see the rest of it to know that he was troubled. By now, she was well-enough acquainted with him to realize when something was bothering him; he might _seem_ angry and surly on the surface, but it was really just a mask to hide his deeper feelings of pain…or _fear_.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Zuko glanced down at his left arm, and shrugged unconcernedly.

"It's nothing serious."

She followed the brief direction of his eyes to discover a rather large red mark blazing on his bicep, glaring in sharp contrast from his pale skin. A frown creased her brow; she hadn't even known he was hurt. In one smooth motion, she uncorked the water skin at her waist and settled beside him, drawing forth a small stream of fluid to cover her hand in a faint blue glow.

Keeping her voice placid, she chided him softly, "That wasn't what I meant."

They said nothing as she quickly soothed the burn and then returned the water to her pouch. Deciding he wasn't going to give any information willingly, she ventured a guess of her own.

"You're scared for him…aren't you?"

Seeming somewhat startled by her astute observation, he turned and opened his mouth in denial, but then snapped it shut again when he realized that lying to her was pointless. She might as well be Toph right now. So instead, he heaved a short sigh and hung his head.

"Terrified," he answered miserably. Before she had a chance to respond, he went on agitatedly, "He's not ready for this. He still hasn't mastered lightning and I have no idea how to solve the problem. And even if he _could_ bend lightning, I don't think it would help.

"He's still too timid, defending and evading when he should be striking. I don't know how else to motivate him without running the risk of hurting him.

"And I know Aang is only holding back because he's fighting me, but it's not just that. He doesn't want to hurt _any_one, and that's the problem!" he railed. "My father could care less. This is the man who burned and banished his _own son_. Ozai isn't going to go easy on Aang just because he's a _kid_! And without the Avatar State…"

His voice trailed off as his head dropped wearily into his hands.

Katara had waited patiently for Zuko to finish, listening with a sympathetic ear. While his rant wasn't entirely unexpected, she did find it somewhat ironic. The once ruthless prince who only a few months ago had been dead set on capturing the Avatar was now sitting here tormenting himself about the danger Aang faced. It was heartbreaking and endearing all at the same time.

"I understand why you're worried. I really do," she said gently. "But Aang can _do_ this, Zuko. I _know_ he can. I've known it since the day I met him."

Zuko held her gaze for a moment, searching her face for any hint of doubt and finding none. At last, he turned away with a defeated exhale and a short a silence settled between them, during which they both stared out at the tawny sunlight glimmering like jewels on the sea.

"How can you be so certain he'll succeed?"

"Because he won't be alone," Katara answered simply, keeping her eyes fixed on the ocean. "We'll be there to help him, and I know that you won't let anything happen to Aang anymore than I would."

Katara finally turned to look at Zuko and she couldn't help but grin at his expression of mixed wonder and gratitude as he stared back at her.

Her smile nearly undid him.

For one horrible moment he wished he could tell her…_show_ her, just how much that meant…how much _she_ meant to him. But he couldn't. He'd already made enough bad choices to last his entire lifetime, and he wasn't about to add destroying his friendship with Aang to the list.

So he merely smiled warmly back at her.

"Come on," she said brightly, rising to her feet and handing him his tunic as he stood up as well. "If we don't get back soon, we'll both be going hungry tonight."

* * *

Azula barreled past the sentries stationed outside the throne room, heedless of their admonishments to halt and assured that they were too terrified to try and physically stop her because she was the Fire Lord's daughter. Or maybe it was just the flash of azure flames around her hands that made them scramble out of her path. She honestly didn't care either way.

That is, until she was met with twelve sets of startled eyes gawking in her direction… and one very angry glare smoldering at her from the throne.

As one, the assembled generals all turned with awkward uncertainty back toward the Fire Lord, who stood slowly and addressed them.

"Leave us."

The princess waited stoically as the men filed out, trying her best not to look as terrified as she suddenly felt. Over and over, she repeated in her mind that she belonged here, had every right to be in this room, all the while steadfastly ignoring the illusionary figure of Mai leaning against a nearby pillar.

"Talk about terrible timing…"

So caught up was Azula in disregarding the hallucination, that it took her a moment to realize that her father was still waiting expectantly for her to bow. She immediately dropped to her knees and Ozai settled gracefully back onto his cushion.

"I assume you have a good reason for returning unannounced, and interrupting a very important meeting," he said coolly.

Azula blinked at the tone of disapproval in his voice, willing her mouth to speak as she stammered out a reply.

"I do. I have a good reason. I brought in a couple of traitors. Well I didn't bring them _with_ me, of course. They're locked away, but I'm sure you'll want to deal with their treachery personally-"

"And what was their crime?" he interjected smoothly.

"They had the Avatar in their grasp, and they let him get away! Then they tried to hide their failure with lies!"

"I see," mused the Fire Lord calmly. "So you're saying that they had the Avatar, and that you were unaware of it?"

Azula blanched, and the dry chime of Mai's sardonic chuckle echoed through the halls for her ears only.

"They were sent on a different errand," Azula insisted almost desperately, "And they deceived me about what happened while they were gone! It wasn't my fault…"

"So rather than continue your search once this deception was uncovered, you returned here."

The Fire Lord's tone was bordering on annoyed, but remained otherwise civil. And somehow, that was more frightening to Azula than if he had shouted. She averted her eyes to the floor.

"I thought they should be punished for their insolence," the princess said, trying to sound sure of her decision, but even she could hear the pathetic plea in her voice. "If you'll give me another team…a more reliable one, I'll resume the search immediately."

With nothing left to say in her defense, she waited anxiously for her father to speak. After a few moments, she heard the rustle of fabric as he rose to his feet and descended from the dais.

He looked her over with a discerning eye, honing in on the minute tremble in her arms, her slightly disheveled hair, the pallor of her skin. She was a mess, and this simply would not do.

"You look tired, Azula," he finally remarked impassively. "I think you should return to your room and rest."

"But, the Avatar-"

"Is no longer your concern."

The sound of booted footsteps rang through the chamber and came to a stop just behind Azula.

"Take the princess back to her quarters," Ozai instructed the waiting guards, "And this time, see to it that she stays there."

Azula's head snapped up in horrified disbelief. She was so stunned that for a moment she couldn't even speak. It wasn't until she had gotten to her feet that she found her voice again.

"But, this isn't fair," she protested helplessly, "You can't lock me away like this!"

"Silence, Azula!" the Fire Lord commanded in a tone that brooked no argument. He began to ascend the dais once more as he added in a softer tone, "You are not being punished, Daughter. But you seem…out of sorts. I need you at your best when the comet arrives." He turned and sat back down; fixing her with a meaningful gaze that belied his explanation. "And I expect my wishes to be _obeyed_."

With trembling lips, she gave a curt bow. "Yes, Father."

Turning on her heel, she began to leave, flanked by her escort. She didn't need to see behind her to know that Mai's specter was tagging along. After all, the dead noblewoman wasn't shy about sharing her thoughts on the situation.

"Azula got in trouble," Mai sang teasingly.

The remaining fingernails on Azula's hands dug so deeply into her fists that they drew blood.

**

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**Author's note:**

I want to apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter up. My job has had me working overtime the past couple of weeks and the workload is just about to fry my brain. It seems as though I'm expending all my creative energy there and have nothing left by the time I get home (sigh).

I'll try to be faster with the next update, but I'm making no promises until this monster project at work is done (which looks to be about two or three more weeks).


	3. Concerns

All throughout the meal, Sokka had been watching 'the couple' discretely, and so far, he hadn't seen anything unusual. Sure, Zuko was sitting next to Katara, but he always did that. If not in between her and Aang, then settled on the opposite side of her so that the two boys flanked her as they did now. They were like peas in a pod, those three; it was rare to see one of them without another or both of the others nearby.

Of course, currently, the young Avatar was on his feet, regaling the newcomers with the tale of when he'd tricked Zhao into burning his own boats, much to the uproarious delight of the insurgent Fire Nation soldiers.

Almost simultaneously, Zuko and Katara both reached for the last peach, but the prince was an instant faster. Oblivious to her disappointed pout, Zuko began to cut the fruit in half as he listened to Aang's story.

"But the best part was when I told him that Zuko was a better fire bender. That one _really_ got him!"

"You actually _said_ that?" marveled Zuko, turning to his friend in disbelief while absently setting the pitted portion of the peach on Katara's plate.

Sokka observed with some satisfaction that there were no grand overtures in the gesture, no show of significance to his giving Katara half the fruit. Surely, if Zuko _liked_ her, he'd have made at least _some_ fuss over it. But instead, the act was done without thought or consideration and with no recognition whatsoever for the pleased and appreciative grin Katara gave him.

"Yeah, I did," laughed Aang, his arms animating widely as he continued. "You should have seen his face too! It turned so red I thought he was going to _explode_!"

Zuko was chuckling now, shaking his head as he pried the pit from his half of the peach.

"I'm surprised he didn't considering I'd beaten him in an Agni Kai just a few weeks before. Served him right to be insulted about it…and you didn't even _know_."

"Whatever happened to Zhao anyway?" wondered Katara aloud as she prepared to bite into her fruit. "We never saw him again after he ran off from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole."

The smile on Zuko's face suddenly died, his expression turning serious.

"The Ocean Spirit took him."

A pall descended over the courtyard as everyone waited patiently for details. After a moment's hesitation, during which he set the rest of the peach on Katara's plate, having apparently lost all interest in eating it, Zuko briefly relayed the events that followed after Zhao killed the Moon Spirit. How he had chased the Admiral through the icy streets and confronted him only to have their duel interrupted by a massive, watery fist.

"And yet, even after everything he'd done, I still wanted to help him…try to pull him free. But he wouldn't let me," Zuko mused sadly. A tinge of bitterness crept into his voice as he added, "Apparently death was a better fate than being saved by a banished prince."

After a long, uncomfortable pause, Lo'Khi finally spoke.

"My grandfather once told me that a man without mercy in his heart is just as likely to refuse it, as he is to give it."

Zuko nodded solemnly, the torchlight in the courtyard dancing grotesquely over the furrowed lines of his scarred face.

"So I've learned."

Another awkward silence followed, during which most of them contemplated their empty dishes. Sokka, however, didn't miss the quick, reassuring squeeze Katara gave Zuko's hand, and the warrior watched with interest as their eyes met for barely a moment. He was almost certain he saw something lingering in Zuko's gaze after she looked away.

But, no sooner had it appeared, it was gone - forcefully squelched only to be replaced with practiced reserve. It was so fleeting that Sokka half-wondered if it had been there at all, or was merely a figment of his overactive imagination. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to ponder on it for long because Toph's sardonic voice broke the silence.

"Wow…that was a real mood killer."

Her dry remark elicited sheepish chuckles from the rest of the group. Even Zuko smiled apologetically.

"Sorry."

"Hey, not your fault," the blind girl replied dismissively. "I'm just glad I never actually had to _meet_ the guy. He's not even _here_ and he's a complete party pooper!"

Despite the rather morbid humor behind it, the teens couldn't help but laugh at her joke, the cheerful sound chasing away the somber atmosphere. Finishing the last bite of her peach, Katara leaned back with a sigh.

"Well, I guess these dishes aren't going to clean themselves."

Without a word, Zuko began stacking the bowls and plates nearest to him, and again, Sokka saw nothing unusual about this. The prince had never hesitated to pitch in with chores; gathering the firewood, filling the cooking pot with water, making sure the canteens were topped off before breaking camp for another day of travel.

Of course, Zuko had been especially industrious during those rough first weeks shortly after he'd joined them, back in the days when Katara had been practically hostile toward the poor guy, because he was merely trying to earn her approval. But the more Sokka thought about it, the two were on good terms now, so he was forced to wonder (with some suspicion) _why_ Zuko continued to do these things.

It couldn't _possibly_ mean…

"Hello! Earth to Sokka!" Toph's voice cut through his ramblings as the ground trembled underneath him.

"Huh? What?"

A stack of bowls rattled slightly as a smirking Zuko set the pile down in front of him.

"See what you get for not paying attention," he remarked cheerfully, "now you're on dish duty."

"What? _Me_?! Why?"

"Because, if you'd been _listening _before," answered Katara smartly, "Ty Lee and I cooked, and Aang and Zuko are tired from training all afternoon."

"Well, what about Toph?"

The blind girl crossed her arms as she replied sarcastically, "Would you prefer that I _stand _on them, or whack them with my new _stick_?"

"Oh…right…"

"Besides," continued Katara, "she spent all day cleaning up that mess of a cold cellar to store the food Renzu and Lo'Khi brought."

As if to reinforce this statement, the petit earth bender raised her hand to stifle a sleepy yawn.

"So it's all you, Buddy," finished Zuko, sliding another stack of plates in Sokka's direction.

The water tribe warrior was now surrounded by the empty vessels of a feast for a small army and, realizing he had no way out of it, he let out a doleful sigh.

"Lucky me."

"Don't worry," offered Ty Lee consolingly, "Renzu will help you with them."

The teen in question sputtered in his teacup, swallowing quickly to keep from choking. "I will?"

"Sure," she answered brightly as she rose to her feet and stretched. "I mean it's not like _you _did anything strenuous today."

"Ha-ha, she's got you there," laughed Lo'Khi. "You did have a pretty easy day."

"Ha-ha," he returned good-naturedly before picking up a stack of plates. He thrust the pile into his former subordinate's hands, smiling triumphantly. "And so did _you_; so hop to it, Soldier."

With that, Renzu picked up another stack of dirty dishes and headed off toward the kitchen with a grumbling Sokka.

"You know," mused Lo'Khi, petulantly following along behind, "technically speaking, you aren't my commanding officer anymore."

"Well now that _that's_ settled," Ty Lee giggled, "I think I'm going to bed. I'm beat! Goodnight, everyone!"

"Night, Bendy," mumbled Toph, the others calling their 'goodnights' as well.

As Ty Lee left the courtyard, Zuko glanced discretely at Aang and Katara before walking over to where Toph was sitting heavy-eyed against the fountain. He nudged her foot lightly with the toe of his boot.

"It looks like someone else is ready for some shut-eye too," he remarked companionably.

Toph picked up her walking stick with a grimace. "Can't I just pull up a nice spot of earth out here in the courtyard?"

Smiling indulgently, Zuko grabbed one end of the cane and used it to haul the girl to her feet.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," he offered.

"Well…in that case…" she yawned.

With no further argument, she let Zuko drape her arms across his shoulders, hoisting her up onto his back.

"G'night, Aang. 'Night, Katara," she called sleepily as she rested her head against Zuko.

"Goodnight, Toph," they replied in unison.

Aang watched the two of them go. And just before Zuko walked inside with his charge, he turned and caught Aang's eye, giving his pupil a meaningful glance in Katara's direction: '_Now's your chance to talk to her.' _

The young Avatar nodded in understanding.

* * *

The next morning, Aang strolled into the courtyard where Zuko was already meditating beside the fountain, a snoozing lemur basking in the sun nearby.

"Good morning, Sifu Hotman!"

Zuko quirked open an eye. "Hotman?"

The younger boy merely settled into a meditative position across from his teacher and grinned in reply.

"Aang, no one has used the term 'Hotman' in over a century," explained Zuko in mild exasperation.

"Well…if you prefer, I could always call you Gran-"

"Hotman is fine!" snapped Zuko testily before Aang could finish, giving him a glare before closing his eyes once more and taking a deep breath.

The two sat in silence for a while, letting the sunrise warm them, filling them with energy as they breathed in tandem. Zuko waited until they were both calm and relaxed before venturing the question tormenting his mind, keeping his eyes closed and his tone casual.

"So, did you talk to her?"

A long pause, then, "Not yet."

Zuko's eyes flew open, alarmed, and slightly irritated.

"What's the matter with you?" the prince demanded, trying to keep his voice low. "You had a perfect opportunity to talk to her last night!"

"I know! I'm sorry! I just-"

"Aang, the comet will be here in a _week_. You don't have time to be timid about this!"

"I'm trying! I really am!" pleaded Aang. "But I don't know what to say or how to say it. The few times I've tried in the past, it was a disaster. Either she didn't get it, or it came out completely wrong. What exactly am I supposed to tell her?"

"How should I know?" shrugged Zuko with equal frustration. "In case you weren't aware, this isn't exactly my area of expertise. Just…" he let out a short sigh before suggesting at a loss, "Maybe you should just ask her how _she_ feels about _you_."

"I'm afraid to," Aang said quietly.

"Afraid," echoed Zuko blankly.

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?" asked Aang, his voice nearing panic, "_Then_ what am I supposed to do? How do I make her love me back?"

"Aang…"

"Wait! I know!" cried the boy in sudden epiphany. "What if _you_ told her _for_ me?"

Whatever thought Zuko had just a moment before suddenly evaporated as he tried to comprehend what he hoped he had _not_ just heard. It took every scrap of will power he possessed to remain calm at that moment.

"_What_?"

"You wouldn't need to tell her you're doing it for me," Aang was explaining excitedly, "just sort of…ask in general, and see what she says."

Taking a deep breath, Zuko said with all the patience and geniality he could muster, "So let me get this straight. You just want me to go up to her and say, 'Hey, Katara, I was wondering, for no particular reason of course, whether or not you're in love with Aang'?"

"Exactly!" crowed the boy. He was both thrilled and surprised at how accommodating Zuko seemed to be at the idea. "So…you'll do it?"

Immediately dropping his pleasant façade, Zuko glowered. "_No_."

The prince rose to his feet and began to leave the courtyard, heading for the garden outside and Aang quickly jumped to his feet and followed.

"But you said before that you would help m-"

"I said I would _help_ you, Aang," hissed Zuko as he spun around. "But I'm not going to do it _for_ you. This is just…I can't…"

He was beyond flustered now, unable to divulge the truth about _why_ he simply couldn't do this. It was painful enough to love the girl and not be able to do anything about it, but Aang's suggestion…it would be _torture_.

Holding a breath to try and regain his composure, he finally stated firmly, "This is something you have to do for _yourself_, Aang." He pointed back toward the kitchen, continuing in a low, commanding tone, "Now go in there, and _talk_ to her. And don't come down to the beach to train until you do what you need to do."

Before Aang had any opportunity to protest, Zuko turned and strode away, the grim ultimatum leaving the young Avatar stunned and speechless.

_Commercial break_

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, the big project at work is (technically) done. So, barring any nasty fallout from it (which is very likely), I should be able to get back to posting more regular updates (hopefully!).

I also want to apologize for not having any artwork up for my selected reviewers. I picked two people instead of one and I _am_ working on the illustrations. With any luck, they will be up by the next 'commercial break'.

Thank you all SO much for being patient with me. I know many of you are really looking forward to my 'finale' and I feel terrible for keeping you all waiting.


	4. Reunion

**Author's note:** I bet you all thought I fell off the face of the planet it's been so long since my last update. I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting. I'd like to blame it solely on life being hectic, but unfortunately, that's not entirely the case.

But I'll explain at the end of the chapter. I've kept you guys waiting long enough already.

* * *

Aang trudged resignedly into the kitchen to find Katara blissfully stirring a pot of rice, humming all the while. Noticing him from the corner of her eye as he sat down at the center counter, she cast a bright smile over her shoulder at him.

"Hi, Aang!"

"Hey, Katara," he replied without enthusiasm as Momo scampered over to investigate what the water bender was doing.

"Aren't you supposed to be training with Zuko?" she asked, absently shooing the lemur away from the pot with one hand as she rummaged through an assortment of spice bottles with the other.

"I can't," he admitted glumly before he could stop himself. Realizing his mistake, he stammered quickly, "I mean…uh…not yet. Because I….I haven't had breakfast! Yeah! Zuko said no training until after I eat breakfast."

He held back a sigh of relief when Katara seemed more than satisfied with his excuse. In fact, she looked positively pleased…almost _heart-warmed_. Swiping a papaya from the fruit bowl nearby, she held it out to him.

"Go ahead and eat that. The rice will be done in a few minutes."

With that, she went back to her cooking, leaving Aang to contemplate his food, wondering why it was so difficult to talk to her about how he felt. Gathering his courage, he opened his mouth.

"Katara…"

"Yes, Aang?"

"I was wondering…do you-"

He stopped short when she suddenly turned to face him, giving him her full attention. Her bright blue eyes were shining with curiosity, and dark tendrils of hair framed the caring smile lighting up her features. For a moment, all he could do was stare at her.

"Do I what?" she finally prompted.

By now, Aang's heart was pounding in his chest. This was it, the moment he would finally know. All he had to do was ask.

"Do you…"

The air in the room seemed to still. Even Momo, having perched on Katara's shoulder, was now watching the nervous Avatar with interest, round green eyes blinking inquisitively.

Taking a deep breath, he plunged ahead in a fretful rush.

"Do you think I could have an apple instead?"

Katara replied with a smile; that benign, compassionate, affectionate smile…the one that always made Aang's stomach tie itself in knots.

With usual grace, she turned and plucked an apple from the bowl and set it in front of him with an indulgent, "of course you can," before whisking away the papaya and returning it to the bowl, oblivious to what had (almost) transpired.

Aang stared down at the traded fruit and sighed.

* * *

Sokka slammed a pillow over his head only to realize that, not only did it not block out the sound of chirping beyond his window, nor keep the hot sunlight from shining on his bed, it also made it rather difficult to breathe.

"I just _had_ to take the room the with ocean view," he grumbled sleepily into the pillow, "All those nice, cool, breezes all night long, only to be ruined by _sunrise_."

Tossing the pillow to the floor, he rolled to his feet and shuffled across the room.

"Fortunately for me," he continued with bleary optimism, "that's what _shutters_ are for."

Arriving at the window, he yawned grandly, and then reached out to pull one shutter closed. But as his gaze refocused in the aftermath of his yawn, his hand froze in mid pull, both eyes suddenly popping wide. He rubbed at them vigorously, wiping away the haze of dreams to be certain that he was truly awake.

After a few incredulous blinks, Sokka bolted toward the door.

* * *

"Is everything okay?" asked Katara with a tinge of concern as she set a bowl of rice next to Aang's untouched apple.

"Huh?" Startled from his thoughts, it took him a moment to recover. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine!"

She gave him a look that showed she was not completely convinced, but rather than press the issue, Katara merely turned back to the rice. For some reason, this had the effect of making Aang feel guilty, and he hung his head in shame.

"Actually…there is something I wanted to talk to you about. And…it's kind of importan-"

A sudden commotion interrupted him; loud shouts and banging coming from upstairs and rapidly coming their way. As the two turned toward the archway leading to the main foyer, Sokka burst in breathless and excited.

"Katara! Aang! Get out here quick!"

Without even waiting for them to respond, he disappeared again, rushing out the front door of the house. In the room beyond, they could see the heavy-eyed figures of Renzu and Lo'Khi stumbling hastily down the stairs toward the front door, followed by Ty Lee guiding Toph by the arm.

Exchanging a curious shrug, Aang and Katara got up and went after them, leaving the food sitting on the counter with Momo. The little lemur watched as they left, then looked back at Aang's uneaten breakfast. With one last glance at the vacant doorway, he promptly descended on the rice, greedily scooping two handfuls into his mouth before flying out the room.

Two seconds later, the apple vanished off the counter in a trilling whoosh of white and brown fur.

* * *

Zuko was halfway through some basic fire bending moves in an effort to loosen up when he spotted the water tribe warrior running out of the house. He didn't think much of it beyond the usual Sokka absurdity, and was about to continue his set until he saw the others come racing out as well.

_That_ got his attention.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he grabbed his shirt off the nearby rock and hurried to catch up with his friends.

* * *

"So what's going on, Mr. I-hate-waking-up-early?" asked Renzu, slightly out of breath as he jogged along with the others behind Sokka. "Is my dad finally here?"

"Nope," crowed Sokka as they crested the hillock to get a view of the horizon. "_Mine_ is."

Hearing this, Katara gasped and rushed up over the rise to stand by her brother. Sure enough, there were three ships sailing toward them, and there was no mistaking their origin.

They were Water Tribe.

The seven teens were staring out at the water in shock when Zuko finally joined them on the hill, still tugging one arm through a sleeve. He caught Aang's glance and cast a meaningful look and a questioning nod in Katara's direction.

But the younger boy merely shook his head, fully expecting an irate glower from his fire-bending teacher. Much to Aang's surprise (and relief) however, Zuko didn't seem angry. Instead, the prince let out a short sigh…obviously disappointed, and somewhat…resigned.

"What are they _doing_ here?" wondered Katara aloud, having finally recovered enough to find her voice.

"I don't know," marveled Sokka, sounding completely elated, "But we're about to find out."

With that, he set off down the hill to where the ships were coming up onto the beach below.

* * *

Hakoda and several of his men had just finished pulling the bow of the ship onto the shore when the Chieftain heard the shout of two familiar voices. Turning toward the sound, his face brightened as he saw his children rushing across the sand, and a moment later, he was tackled in a dual embrace. He hugged them tightly in return, overjoyed to see them both safe and sound.

When they pulled away, he looked beyond them to see the others approaching. Three of the faces he recognized, and there were three faces he didn't. But all of them were smiling even if some of them seemed slightly confused. Introductions would have to wait however, for his children were barraging him with questions.

"What are you doing here?" "How did you find us?"

"I received a rather unusual message several weeks ago from a friend of yours," he told Sokka, "A Commander Huo. He told me to come here."

Renzu immediately perked up, asking before he could stop himself, "You heard from my dad?" His expression switched immediately to worry, however, as he glanced around at the lack of any Fire Nation ships. "Wh-Where is he?"

Seeing the anxious look on the boy's face, Hakoda answered reassuringly, "He'll be here once another ship comes to relieve his. He's the one that got us through the blockade last night."

"How did you know you could trust his letter?" asked Sokka. "It might've been a trap."

Hakoda smiled and glanced over at Renzu with a fond and knowing look before placing a warm hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Call it a father's instinct."

His explanation wasn't contested, and both Sokka and Renzu seemed moved by it. The others were touched as well…all but Zuko, whose expression turned pensive. Only Hakoda noticed, and he quickly changed the subject.

"We would have been here sooner," the Chieftain continued, "but we had to stop and pick up a few extra passengers."

As if on cue, six figures clad in dark green appeared at the top of the lowered gangplank of Hakoda's ship, and Sokka's face lit up.

"Suki!"

The girl in question grinned elatedly, and as Water Tribe and Kyoshi warrior each rushed forward to embrace the other, meeting midway up the ramp, Ty Lee leaned down to murmur dejectedly into Toph's ear.

"She's the girlfriend, isn't she?"

Toph's reply was equally morose. "Yeah."

Suki was still smiling as she came down the ramp, Sokka at her side and her warriors behind her. But when she caught sight of a familiar pink outfit among the small crowd on the beach, she immediately took up a fighting stance with the other warriors following suit.

"What is _she_ doing here?" the Kyoshi leader demanded, fans at the ready.

Before Sokka could utter anything in her defense, Ty Lee quickly stepped forward and surprised everyone, Suki included, by dropping to her knees in the sand. There was a moment of silence as those gathered waited anxiously for Suki to respond: the Kyoshi warriors waiting for their leader to begin the attack, and the others not daring to move for fear of making the already tense situation worse. Meanwhile, the imposing painted face glared at the figure kowtowed before her.

"Where are your friends?" asked Suki coldly.

"Mai's gone," the contrite acrobat choked out. "Azula…she…"

A startled glance at the averted eyes and bowed heads of Aang, Katara, and Zuko confirmed for Suki precisely what 'gone' meant, and her battle-ready pose relaxed a bit in confusion as she quickly pieced together what had been left unspoken.

"I know you have no reason to trust me," continued Ty Lee penitently, "and I don't expect you to ever forgive me. But I want you to know that I _am_ sorry for the things that I've done to you and your Kyoshi warriors."

Suki was completely speechless, and she looked uncertainly from the prone girl at her feet to Sokka at her side. Unable to find any words appropriate to the situation, he merely offered a helpless shrug and a weak but encouraging smile.

It was enough for Suki.

Crossing her arms over her chest, her voice fell into the silence like a drop of water echoing through a cave.

"I _can_ forgive you…on _one_ condition."

"Anything," Ty Lee promised fervently.

"I want you to teach me and my warriors what you can do."

The acrobat's head snapped up, moist eyes shining with surprise, hope, and gratitude before bowing deeply again.

"It would be my _honor_."

A collective breath of relief rippled through the small crowd and everyone relaxed. And Sokka, ever the one to break a mood with practicality, immediately piped up.

"So who wants some breakfast?"

* * *

**Author's note (2):** Okay, here's the deal.

The truth is, I've recently become distracted by a new story idea (well, a couple of them actually), and I'm finding it very difficult to concentrate on _this_ story. This brings me to a question for all of you:

Would anyone be interested in reading these separate projects in conjunction with this one, or should I hold off until this is done?

Bear in mind that only one of my two concepts is Avatar related. It's a post-war story that picks up where the canon series left off and, much like this fan-fic, it plays on the more popular themes currently found in Avatar Fan-Fiction (namely, Zuko looks for his mom while Aang tackles the dilemma of reviving the lost Air Nomad culture).

The other idea is something entirely new, a world and story of my own creation with all new characters that would be published over on FictionPress rather than here on FanFiction.

I really want to get these tales out of my head, but since I also don't want them to be a waste of time, what I want to know from everyone is whether or not you'd even been interested in reading them. I know there are already a slew of post-war Avatar stories clogging up the 'net, and maybe no one wants to bother with another one. As for the other idea, it's not even Avatar related so maybe no one even cares.

So should I write them now, should I wait, or should I not even bother? Your feedback on the matter would be deeply appreciated.

* * *


	5. Denial

Coming back from the kitchen where some of Hakoda's men had graciously offered to clean the dishes, Zuko looked around the courtyard. It was filled with people, all well fed and now relaxing in several groups.

Ty Lee sat with the Kyoshi warriors, going over the basics of chi blocking. Toph, Renzu, and Lo'Khi were chatting with Bato and several other Water Tribesmen while Hakoda sat with his children and Suki, swapping stories and getting caught up with recent events. Aang sat with them, jumping into the conversation at every opportunity he had.

With a small frown, Zuko leaned down next to Aang and quietly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, we still have training to do." When the boy didn't get up, Zuko hauled him lightly to his feet by the collar of his shirt. "Now."

"But…I didn't talk to Katara yet," Aang protested as he padded alongside his teacher toward the gate.

The prince stopped and glanced over to where the water bender sat laughing at something Hakoda was saying. Despite a tiny pang of envy at the reunion, (Zuko still had no idea where his uncle was) it felt good to see her together with her family, beaming and happy. And as much as he wanted this matter with Aang's inner conflict resolved, he didn't want it to come at the expense of the other people Katara loved. She deserved what time she had with them.

With a small but contented sigh, he turned back to Aang and smiled gently.

"I think it can wait a bit."

* * *

It had taken Azula's maids the better part of the morning to comb all the tangles out of her hair, and now they were trying their best to salvage what fingernails she had left. Unfortunately, the only way to even them up was to file the rest of them down, a necessity they decided was probably for the best once they saw the damage that had been done to her palms.

For the first time in weeks, Azula almost felt at ease. In fact, so far, this 'confined to quarters' business wasn't that bad at all. Her favorite foods had been brought to her rooms and there were people to pamper her and cater to her every whim. The situation would be practically perfect, except for one tiny detail…_Mai_.

"Hey, maybe if you behave well enough, Daddy will let you go out and play in the gardens," the apparition joked snidely from where she lounged on the bed.

The poor girls filing Azula's nails once again found themselves prying her fists open. But unlike the other instances where they succeeded in continuing their task, this time the princess snatched her hands away completely and stood up.

"That's enough," she snapped at them irritably. "Leave me."

With humble bows and downcast eyes, they hastily backed out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Azula whirled around to address Mai; the princess's face warped with an emotion lost somewhere between rage and anguish.

"Why can't you leave me _alone_?" she demanded, "What do you _want_ from me?"

"I don't want anything from you," Mai sighed dully.

"Then why are you here?"

"How should I know?" she shrugged with mild exasperation. "Maybe you're the one who wants something from me."

"The only thing I want from you is to _go away_."

Sighing with boredom, Mai laid back against the pillows. "If that were really the case, I'd already be gone."

At this, the princess began to pace, wringing her hands together as she babbled.

"But you _aren't_ gone. I don't want you here but you won't leave. So there has to be some _reason_ you're here. Why can't I make you go away?"

The dead noblewoman sat up and cast a curious glance at her childhood friend.

"You tell me."

Azula paled, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at the other girl, dumbstruck. At last, she whispered in a tremulous voice filled with denial.

"I don't know."

"Then I guess you aren't getting rid of me anytime soon."

"You aren't real!" screamed Azula, losing her temper. She picked up the tray holding the remains of her breakfast and hurled it at the specter. Unsurprisingly, it sailed right through her, crossing over the bed to smash against the ornate wood carving of opposite wall.

* * *

In the darkness of a hidden corridor, two wrinkled faces retreated from the incoming platter, flinching as the blow reverberated against the perforated partition that separated them from the princess. As broken shards of porcelain shattered against the floor, they exchanged a troubled glance and then peeked once more through the tiny holes.

Azula was huddled on her knees now, clutching her hands to her head and rocking back and forth while she whimpered over and over.

"You're not real…you're not real…go away, you're not real."

With grave, knowing looks at one another, the old women soundlessly moved on down the passageway, leaving the beleaguered royal to her madness.

* * *

Lately, it felt as though Katara no sooner finished fixing one meal, than she was busy preparing another. And there always seemed to be more people to feed. But she certainly wasn't complaining considering who was going to be eating.

The day had passed in a blur of elation, what with seeing her father and the men of their tribe again, and knowing that they were safe. It was also heartwarming to watch Ty Lee with the Kyoshi Warriors. Katara had been more than a little surprised at how easily they'd forgiven Azula's former sidekick, but then again, she herself had been quick to give the acrobat a second chance as well. Ty lee was simply a charming person; it was hard not to like her.

Even now, she and the other girls were out in the courtyard, giggling over failed attempts at chi blocking and generally having a grand time with their lessons. Toph was out there too, the blind girl having become interested in the technique when Aang was learning and eager to study it some more.

Yes, it had definitely been a good day.

Katara was still mulling over these pleasant thoughts while she chopped vegetables when a commotion erupted in the entry hall of the house. There was a loud banging of doors and stomping of feet. She turned in time to see Bato and her father coming through the wide archway, carrying a limp-limbed Zuko between them.

Suddenly alarmed, she dropped the paring knife and hurried around the center counter to where they were carefully setting him on the long bench.

"What happened?"

"_Aang_ happened," said her brother cheerfully from the doorway, striding in with a jubilant Avatar bounding after him.

She looked from Aang to Zuko, who was sporting a wide grin, and then back to Aang, her mind starting to fit together the puzzle of what was going on.

"You blocked his chi," she gasped.

"He blocked it _twice_," Zuko clarified with pride.

"One hit right after the other too!" added Sokka as he clumsily mimed the moves. "It was amazing!"

"Oh, Aang!" she cried, rushing forward to embrace him in a joyful hug. "That's wonderful!"

He blushed at the praise (and the close contact with Katara), stepping back and rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"It took me long enough to do it though," he admitted.

"But you _did_ it," interjected Hakoda kindly, "and that's what matters."

There was a bit of an awkward silence in the wake of so much excitement, which Bato broke by sniffing the air.

"Something smells delicious," he remarked casually.

Katara moved back to the food and scooped the vegetables into a pot, stirring as she announced, "Actually, it's almost ready if you want to go round everyone up."

The older man nodded and then followed Hakoda out the door.

"Aang, would you and Toph mind making some tables out in the courtyard? It will be less crowded if we can serve the food out there."

"Sure thing, Katara," he said, more than eager to please her, and he hurried off to do her bidding.

Sokka left with him, but ducked into a long shadow just outside the doorway to watch surreptitiously as Katara gave the pots one last scan to make sure nothing would burn before going over to Zuko.

"So how do you feel?" she asked timidly.

He looked up at her and grinned, still euphoric over Aang's success. "Numb," he chuckled.

She smiled unsteadily back at him, and Sokka noticed that the prince suddenly looked very uncomfortable beneath the unmistakable concern in Katara's gaze.

"If you want, I can try to unblock-"

"No!" Zuko interjected quickly (too quickly). Then more casually (but still awkwardly), he assured her, "I'll be fine. It'll wear off soon enough."

"Well...if you're sure…"

"I am."

With a slow nod, she went disappointedly back to her cooking, and Sokka scowled from his hiding place in the other room.

Zuko's refusal to let Katara help him wasn't the bravado of a guy trying to act tough to impress a girl. If anything, it was the exact opposite. He almost seemed to be purposefully pushing Katara away. But in light of the obvious longing in the fire-bender's eyes, the furtive glances in her direction when she wasn't looking, Sokka couldn't help but be confused.

The whole situation just didn't add up.

* * *

Later that night, after the food was eaten, the dishes cleaned, and everyone had gone their separate ways to talk or get some rest, Sokka wandered toward the courtyard to find his father speaking quietly with Zuko by the fountain. Curious, the warrior stayed in the shadows, and was able to catch the end of their conversation.

"I'll see what I can do," Hakoda said as he clapped a gentle hand on Zuko's shoulder and gave the young man a warm smile.

"Thank you, Sir," answered Zuko with gratitude.

They left the courtyard, headed in opposite directions, and as Sokka stood there pondering which of the two he should follow, a voice from behind startled him nearly out of his skin.

"Hey, Handsome. Care to go for a walk with me?"

Sokka spun around with a gasp to find a welcome face grinning at him. "Suki!"

"It's a beautiful night…" she prompted enticingly.

"Yeah," he agreed, relaxing and putting an arm around her shoulder, "A walk sounds great."

* * *

Moonlight danced across the water and glittered like diamonds on the coarse sand. A gentle breeze blew across the beach, carrying the sent of night-blooming jasmine and salty sea air. But despite the decidedly romantic atmosphere (or maybe _because_ of it), Sokka couldn't quite stay focused on Suki the way he wanted too.

All he could think about was his sister, and the possibility that Zuko might like her as more than a friend. And what was with that little scene between his dad and the banished prince? Could Zuko have been approaching the chief about-

"You aren't listening to a word I'm saying, are you?"

Snapped out of his musings, Sokka stared blankly at his girlfriend. "Huh?"

"Okay, Sokka, spill," she demanded kindly. "What's on your mind?"

He had the decency to look ashamed for not paying attention to her.

"Sorry. It's just, I overheard Zuko asking my dad for a favor, and I'm trying to figure out what it might be."

"Oh that," Suki waved a hand dismissively, surprising Sokka with her apparent knowledge of the situation. "Zuko is working on a contraption so Katara can carry more water into battle. He doesn't think there will be enough in the palace and wants to make sure she has plenty. He's been asking around for extra canteens and water skins, and I suggested he check with your dad."

Sokka frowned. He should have felt relieved that it was something so innocuous, but for some reason, Renzu's remark from the day before about the courtyard fountain wheedled its way into his mind; _you'll figure it out._

"Katara's always done just fine with what she has," the boy remarked petulantly, "why would he be worried about that?"

Suki crossed her arms and fixed him with a wry grin.

"I think that should be pretty obvious by now. I mean, he'd be devastated if something ever happened to her. It's been that way since Omashu."

If Sokka had received a slap to the face just then, he wouldn't have been more stunned. Suddenly, so many weird things about Zuko made perfect sense; the passionate determination to find the girls when they turned up missing from their prison cell, the fierce tension with Jet, the constant worry about how much water was available, the awkwardness the prince displayed around Katara.

Sokka couldn't believe that all of this had been developing right before his eyes for weeks, and he hadn't even _seen_ it. But now, there was absolutely no denying it, and it went beyond 'like'…_way_ beyond. His voice was barely more than a horrified whisper as reality struck him.

"_He loves her_."

* * *

**Author's note:**

For those of you who may not already be aware, I have posted the first chapter of my canon-based, post-war story. I will be updating both Avatar fan-fictions simultaneously, so you won't have to wait for me to finish that one before getting to the conclusion of this one.

Once my 'Fire' series is finished, I will probably begin working on 'The Glyphlir Saga', which will be posted over on Fiction-Press (since it's not a fan-fic, I can't publish it here). But I'll make a note in 'Unraveling the Thread' and on my bio page when I start on that for those who are interested in reading.

I also want to thank everyone who offered their advice about whether or not I should work on multiple projects at the same time. Your feedback was invaluable, and I think I have found my inspiration again as a result. Thank you.


	6. Hitch

Although the training had gone very well today, better than anyone had expected actually, it didn't take very long for Aang's elation to wear off. About midway through dinner, a rambunctious affair during which all anyone could talk about was his success at blocking Zuko's chi, it struck him that the comet was only five days away.

Five days from now, he would face Ozai. Five days from now, he would save the world. Five days from now, he might _fail_…and all would be lost.

When the meal was over, he snuck away with his glider to feel the breeze against his skin as he contemplated what would happen when the comet came. The moon was barely peeking over the eastern horizon when he finally landed on the roof of the house, staring out to the west where his destiny lay.

This is where he was an hour or so later when he heard Katara's voice.

"Aang?"

He looked over his shoulder to find her drifting around the courtyard, looking for him.

"Up here," he called.

Glancing up in the direction from which she heard his voice and spotting him on top of the house, she gracefully pulled a broad swath of water from the fountain and rode the ensuing wave to the roof to join him. Another effortless wave of her hand later, the water was returned to its quiet pool.

"I was wondering where you ran off to," she remarked as she settled down beside him.

"I needed a break from all the excitement."

Katara nodded in understanding. She didn't have to wonder about what was really on his mind, she knew him well enough to recognize his worries. But she said nothing, and for a long while, the two of them sat in comfortable silence as they gazed over the starlit ocean. Finally, Aang broke the tranquil stillness.

"I don't think I'm ready for this," he said softly.

"What are you talking about? Of _course_ you're ready," Katara insisted reassuringly. "Even Zuko believes so, and _that's_ saying something."

"Yeah, well I still think he was going easy on me," grumbled Aang.

Katara shook her head, remembering the conversation she'd had with the prince the previous night. "No. You did it all on your own, and if Zuko says you're ready for this, then you are."

Something about how she said that made Aang pause, and he gave her a long look filled with slight awe.

"You really trust him now, don't you?" he marveled.

"Yeah," she admitted quietly. "Yeah, I really do."

"I'm glad," Aang said decisively. "For a while there, I didn't think you'd ever learn to trust him."

"I didn't think I would either," she confessed, turning her gaze contemplatively to the stars. "I used to be so worried that he'd betray us, or change his mind…but not anymore. Now, I believe he'd sacrifice anything to keep you from being hurt."

She turned back to Aang and smiled, and the sight of her nearly took his breath away. Moonlight played on stray wisps of Katara's hair being tugged gently by the wind; the stars seemed to glimmer in her eyes.

"Just as I would," she added sincerely.

Suddenly all his misgivings about the Fire Lord faded away. Right there, out of the blue, she had just as much _told_ him that she loved him; she said she'd give up _anything_ for him. That was love! It _had_ to be!

It was like a divine gift, and as far as he was concerned, it couldn't have come at a more perfect moment. This was his chance, and he wasn't about to waste it. But he was going to do much better than tell her. He was going to _show_ her. And he was going to do it _now_.

His decision made, he began to lean toward her, slowly, patiently, ready to savor every second of this moment. Her head tilted slightly to one side with a mildly puzzled (expectant!) expression, incidentally putting her lips at just the right angle to meet his.

At about this time, he began having his first doubt, but there was no going back now. Drawing in one last deep breath, he prepared to close the distance.

A brilliant light followed immediately by a muted pop erupted behind them, startling them both. Katara's head whipped around to face the source of the disturbance. Even Aang was so surprised by the interruption that he too spun around to see what was going on, his attempted kiss forgotten as his instinctual alertness to a potential threat kicked in.

Hanging in the sky over the eastern beach was a single white flare, and in the illumination that it provided they could see the glimmering outline of a Fire Navy ship. They turned to each other with excitement as they shouted in unison.

"Huo!"

* * *

For the second time that day, the rag-tag group of children plus Hakoda and Bato found themselves once again rushing across the grassy knolls to the beach, eager to greet more allies. Their steps faltered, however, when the moonlight revealed not one ship, but _seven_.

With uneasy glances at one other, they made their way slowly down to the beach, and a collective wave of relief swept through them when they spotted the form of Commander Huo standing in the bow of one of the smaller excursion vessels approaching through the surf. Renzu was the first to dash forward.

After giving father and son a moment to reunite, the rest gathered around, Zuko coming last and halting several feet short of the others. The prince was wholly overwhelmed by the number of ships anchored just offshore, and he couldn't pull his stunned gaze away from them until Huo stepped forward, flanked by Lieutenant Jee and several other officers whom he didn't recognize.

As one, the Fire Nation men dropped to their knees in the sand, kowtowing before a bewildered Zuko. The show of reverence given only to royalty should have felt normal to him, but it didn't. It felt alien, and scary. There were so many ships! And he wanted to tell them to stand up, that he didn't deserve their obeisance, but he stopped himself just short of uttering the demand because his mouth simply refused to work.

Thankfully, they stood on their own, and Zuko relaxed only a little when they turned their attention toward Aang, bowing at the waist before the young Avatar with equal veneration. There was some small satisfaction in the fact that the boy looked about as surprised and uncomfortable as Zuko felt. His gaze drifted back to the water.

"All these ships," he murmured, "all these _people_…"

"Are yours to command, Prince Zuko," interjected Huo respectfully.

"But…the penalty…if Ozai knew…" stammered the prince. He bowed his head as his hand drifted unconsciously to his ruined face. "What about your honor?"

"If it is honorable to stand by and do nothing while innocent lives are destroyed," answered Huo meaningfully, "then I would rather be a disgrace."

The reference to Zuko's banishment was perfectly clear, and his head snapped up to find Jee and the other assembled officers nodding solemnly in accord. Zuko swallowed back the lump forming in his throat, humbled beyond words. But there was a swell of pride there too; pride in these men who would risk everything to put an end to this senseless war.

Huo stepped forward and put a hand on Zuko's shoulder as he continued gently.

"The Avatar may have brought hope to the world, but by joining him you've brought something just as important to the Fire Nation: _courage_ to finally do what is _right_."

Once again, words failed the prince, and all he could do was stare dumbfounded at the people standing on the beach. The officers stood resolute and determined, while his friends smiled serenely back at him. At last, Zuko found his voice, and it was thick with inexpressible emotion.

"Thank you."

Moving on to more pressing matters, Huo asked, "So do you already have a plan of attack?"

Zuko nodded mutely, still a bit too overcome to form a coherent reply. Fortunately, Sokka stepped forward and answered for him.

"We'll be attacking on the day the comet comes. You know, fight super-mega-charged fire with super-mega-charged fire, so to speak. We figure it's our best chance."

The plan wasn't exactly well received, as Huo's and Jee's eyes darted toward each other with obvious alarm. The other officers seemed disconcerted as well.

"I'm not so certain that's a good idea," Huo said slowly.

Concerned by this statement, the group of teens exchanged worried glances, and waited for the commander to go on. But instead, he cast one more hesitant look at Jee.

"There's something I think you kids need to see."

* * *

There wasn't enough room for everyone on Appa, so only Huo and Renzu accompanied Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko. Even Momo stayed behind with Hakoda and the rest.

They flew silently with all haste through the night sky in the direction Huo had specified, and as a secluded isle appeared on the horizon, the commander glanced anxiously at the moon high above them before leaning forward to speak with Aang.

"Fly low to the water and land on the south side. We don't want to be spotted."

Nodding grimly, Aang steered the bison down as instructed.

Not a word was said as Huo let them up a steep rocky slope while Appa waited on the shore below. The air felt too oppressive under the weight of confusion and anxiety for anyone to risk breaking the ominous silence.

As they neared the top of the ridge, Huo finally spoke.

"Ozai won't be waiting for the comet to make his final attack on the Earth Kingdom."

The group crested the rise and their eyes fell in horror on the scene below. The entire crater of the island was filled almost to overflowing with soldiers and workers scurrying around the incomplete hulls of massive ships.

But they weren't just any ships, and Sokka was the first to understand the terrifying significance of what they were facing. After all, he was the one who helped engineer it. He was the one who finally found the solution to the Fire Nation's ultimate weapon. But the formidable craft he'd worked on was insignificant in comparison to the behemoths they gazed on now, their black metal bodies radiating sinisterly in the moonlight. There were _dozens_ of them.

"No," he whispered forlornly, "No…oh _no_."

"The first fleet launches in two days for Ba Sing Se," Huo explained gravely. "And on the day of the comet, they'll burn the entire city to the ground."

The kids could only stare in dismay at the air ships, already well aware of the truth before Huo even uttered it aloud.

"If you wait to attack Ozai when the comet arrives, then it will already be too late."

_Commercial Break_

* * *

**Author's note**: Well, I was hoping to have two new illustrations up on my DeviantArt page, but I'm still working on the second. So enjoy the one I did for MacFie for now, and I'll try to have Lucrezia's up by the time I post the next chapter.


	7. Tactic

Toph was the first one to recover from the dire news. Setting her jaw in a grim line, she cracked her knuckles into each fist.

"So what are we waiting for?" she asked brusquely. "Let's take these things out. Sokka, what kind of sabotage ideas have you got in that sneaky brain of yours?"

His hand immediately went to his chin in contemplation. But before the appointed strategist could even begin concocting a plan, Huo intervened.

"It won't do any good to disable the ships here. These won't be deployed until after the comet. Ozai intends to use them as a means of 'maintaining order'", he explained with unmasked distaste. "The fleet we need to take out is currently stationed at another facility near Whale Tail Island. When they launch, they'll begin a bombing raid starting in Gaoling, and from there they'll cut a path of destruction all the way to Ba Sing Se."

"Gaoling?!" Toph exclaimed.

At the mention of her home, all the color drained from Toph's face and her resilient, granite demeanor crumbled into scattered dust.

She had left them without so much as a word of explanation or apology. She hadn't said goodbye, or let them know that she still loved them. She had only wanted her freedom, never imagining that such independence could become so horribly _permanent_.

Her voice cracked in a broken whisper. "My parents…"

Everyone looked at her in mute sympathy, completely unaware of how deeply her emotional turmoil went. But Aang noticed something distressingly familiar in her voice. It was the same agonized loss he had heard that day in the shallows after her ordeal with Tanha, when he'd been powerless to do anything more than comfort her.

"We aren't going to let that happen," he assured her firmly. "We'll think of a way to stop them."

The blind girl nodded with solemn trust in his promise, her long bangs falling forward to hide the tears pricking at her eyelids.

"But we can't do it here," Huo advised. "We should get back to the others before someone sees us."

In silent agreement, they got up and left, winding single-file along the narrow path back to Appa. When the track broadened, Aang slowed down to walk beside Toph. He wanted to say something to set her mind at ease, but after taking one look at stony face, words just didn't seem good enough. So instead, he merely took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

To his surprise, she gripped it hard in return, and didn't let go until they reached the bottom of the hill.

* * *

The flight back to the abandoned manor was tense and silent, and when they finally arrived, Hakoda, Bato, and Jee were waiting for them with maps already spread out across a large table in the dining hall. The lieutenant had filled them in while Aang and the others were gone.

Strategy after strategy was discussed, shot down, and rehashed again. Hours later, as the moon hung near the western horizon, and the candles had burnt down to little more than wicks in puddles of wax, Huo finally nodded in satisfaction and stood up.

"You kids should get some rest," he stated with paternal finality. "There's still a lot that needs to be done, and we don't have much time. You'll all need your strength for the days ahead."

With sleepy yawns and sagging eyelids, the teens meandered off to their rooms, leaving Huo and Hakoda watching them as they left.

"It somehow doesn't seem right to put so much on their shoulders," Huo mused sadly.

"No, it doesn't," agreed Hakoda. "But you have to admit," he continued wryly, "they _did_ have all the best ideas."

"That they did," laughed Huo. "Your son is quite the strategist."

"So is yours," said the chief amicably. "Those two make a good team."

"You should see them fight together," replied Huo cheerfully as he wrapped his hands around a teapot to warm it. "It's amazing."

"What's amazing is that they aren't fighting _against_ each other," stated Hakoda soberly. "It's a day I thought I'd never see; never thought I'd _want_ to see."

The commander nodded and poured out two cups of tea as he said, "It's a day long overdue." He handed a cup to Hakoda and held up his own.

"To peace," Huo offered.

Fire Nation commander and Water Tribe warrior clinked their cups against each other as Hakoda finished the toast with a meaningful smile.

"And friendship."

* * *

Sokka couldn't sleep, and as he tossed and turned in his bed, he came to the conclusion that it wasn't the forthcoming battle that bore so heavily on his mind. No, it was something else, something that under the current circumstances should have been trivial. It wasn't though. If anything, it was more important than the fate of the world.

Heaving a weary sigh, he climbed out of his bed and headed for Zuko's room, only to find it empty. Somehow, this wasn't very surprising, and Sokka had a pretty good idea of where he might find the banished prince.

Just as Sokka suspected, Zuko was out in the courtyard, studiously putting the finishing touches on the multi-bagged harness for Katara. Sokka watched silently as Zuko began carefully filling each flask in the fountain to check for any accidental punctures in the leather skins.

Sensing someone's presence, Zuko glanced over his shoulder, mumbling an unconcerned 'hey, Sokka' as he diligently continued his work. Sokka wasn't quite sure how to go about this discussion, so he simply crossed his arms over his chest and got right to the point.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Zuko froze at the accusation for barely a heartbeat, knowing full well whom Sokka meant, but hoping that he really didn't; that maybe he was misinterpreting his friend's question out of guilt. Swallowing nervously, he deliberately placed another skin into the fountain, forcing his voice to stay calm as he answered.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come _off_ it, Zuko!" snapped Sokka, not believing the feigned ignorance for a moment. "If you want to go around and pretend that you don't care about my sister, then fine, whatever. But don't try to hide it from _me_. I already know the truth."

Realizing the futility of any further denial, Zuko let out a short breath of defeat, slowly dipping another flask in the water.

"I don't intend to act on it," he reassured Sokka quietly, "if that's what you're worried about."

"And why _not_?!"

The harness sank into the pool as Zuko spun around at Sokka's outburst. He could've imagined a dozen different ways for the water tribesman to react to the knowledge that the banished prince of the Fire Nation had a thing for his sister, most of them involving a sharp boomerang and screams of 'stay away from my sister, you angry jerk!'. So this reaction left Zuko utterly mute with shock.

"Do you think you're too good for her?" demanded Sokka.

Recoiling at the absurdity of that idea, Zuko insisted hoarsely, "No!"

"That you're not good enough?" the warrior pressed. This received no reply but downcast eyes, and for Sokka, that was answer enough. "Well, you're _not_," he declared. Seeing a shadow of dejection fall across Zuko's face, Sokka realized that didn't come out right, so he hastily amended, "_Not_ not good enough, I mean."

Now Zuko looked completely confused, and Sokka shook his head in frustration as he tried again to express himself clearly.

"You're not too good for my sister, and she's not too good for you. If anything…you two are just about perfect for each other. I mean, you're both a couple of bossy neat-freaks, always looking out for everyone and taking care of them. You're both stubborn, and over-emotional, and…"

"I'm not over-emotional!" protested Zuko.

Sokka gestured widely, his point proven.

"See? That's exactly what Katara would say!" Noticing the frown blooming on Zuko's face, and not wanting to get sidetracked from the original conversation, Sokka waved the remark away. "Look, all I'm saying is, there's nothing wrong with how you feel. Katara cares about you too."

Despite his best effort, and much to his dismay, Zuko was completely unable to repress the hope that filled his ensuing question. "Did she say that?"

"She doesn't have to say it, she's my sister. I can see it in the way she looks at you."

Zuko turned back to the fountain and fished out the harness as he digested what Sokka had said. This wasn't what he wanted…well it _was_, but he wasn't _supposed_ to want it. Katara needed to fall in love with Aang so he could enter the Avatar State, restore the reincarnation cycle, and save the world. This was a nightmare!

"You're not even going to tell her, are you?" asked Sokka irritably.

"It's not that simple," said Zuko tiredly as he resumed his work, "I don't expect you to understand."

"Actually, I think I _do_ understand," replied Sokka gently.

Zuko paused, half-curious, half-apprehensive, but he kept his eyes focused on the harness as he wondered fretfully just how much of this wretched predicament the clever warrior had managed to figure out.

"It's about Mai, isn't it?"

Katara's new harness very nearly went back to the bottom of the fountain for the second time that night, but Zuko grabbed it just before it slipped completely from his grasp. He's been so wrapped up in how this would affect Aang that hadn't even _thought_ about Mai.

But maybe he should have. After all, she had died for him. '_Great._ _Just what I need', _he thought bitterly_, 'more guilt.' _His self-depreciating musings didn't get much further than that, however, because Sokka was talking again.

"I know what it's like to lose someone you care about. And…I know how hard it is to let yourself feel that way about someone else again. I went through the same thing after Yue died. So believe me, I get it."

Unsure of how to respond to this, Zuko merely nodded silently.

"But you also can't expect Katara to wait around forever," Sokka continued.

He purposefully avoided any mention of the fact that all of them would be fighting for their very lives soon, and that some of them may not survive. But that was a possibility that he refused even to consider. It was too real, too scary to voice aloud, so he focused on this problem as though everything was going to end well.

"I just…I don't want you to wait too long to do something about this," warned Sokka, "Because if you do, then you just might lose her to someone else."

"I know," replied Zuko solemnly.

Silence fell as Sokka considered whether or not he should press the issue. But he decided that he'd made his point. He'd said his piece, and since Zuko apparently understood the message, the water tribesman nodded in awkward satisfaction and left.

It wasn't until the echo of Sokka's footsteps faded away that Zuko finally admitted his forlorn strategy to the empty courtyard.

"That's the idea."


	8. Turnabout

The sun rose the next morning amid warm breezes into a clear, blue sky. It was a perfect summer day, the kind that begs for lazy swims in the foaming surf, trivial chatter around half-built sandcastles, and fruity drinks sipped under shady trees. In most parts of the Fire Nation, this was precisely what was happening.

But on a secluded island halfway along the eastern archipelago, an abandoned manor was the site of bustling activity. All along the beach, men clad in red worked alongside others wearing blue; filling iron bomb-pots and fitting wicked, hooked blades to harpoon guns and nets. Meanwhile, green-robed warrioresses drilled combat maneuvers on a nearby hillock, led by a lively figure in pink. All about the small isle, people rushed here and there, sorting weapons and supplies and ferrying them from shore to ships.

This was the scene that lay spread before the Avatar as he stepped outside the house. He ran a hand carelessly over his clean scalp, reveling in the sensation of the balmy sun and crisp wind on his bare head. For the first time in many weeks, he felt like himself again. The moment was made perfect when Momo zoomed in to land on his shoulder and promptly licked the previously hidden tattoo as if welcoming it back. Aang laughed and rubbed his tiny companion appreciatively between the ears.

"Yeah, I missed it too."

The lemur purred in reply as Aang petted him absently, the young Avatar's thoughts wandering elsewhere.

"I've given this a lot of thought, Momo, and I think I'm finally ready to tell her. I don't know why it seemed so hard before." He paused, reaching up to scratch his head in thought. But as his fingers rubbed smooth skin, his face suddenly brightened. "Maybe it was just the hair!"

Momo chirruped in apparent agreement.

"Now I just need to find Katara…"

Aang scanned the organized chaos swirling around him and frowned. She wasn't in the immediate vicinity. Undaunted, he struck out into the commotion to search for the object of his affection and make his intentions known.

After asking around and being pointed in the wrong direction more than once, Aang finally came across Sokka, averting passers-by from going to down to a smaller, secluded section of the beach.

"Hey, Sokka!"

The water tribesman almost did a double take as he noticed the newly revealed air bender tattoos, and he promptly did a little victory dance.

"Oh yeah! The Avatar is back, bald head, blue tattoos and all!" He reached over and playfully rubbed the blue arrow. "You know, I really didn't care for the hair. I just wasn't…_you_."

"I _do_ feel more like myself now," agreed Aang, running his hand over the tattoo. However, he quickly changed the subject before his mission could be sidetracked. "Do you know where Katara is? I've looked everywhere and I can't find her."

"As a matter of fact, I do," he answered happily, "she's right over there."

"Thanks, Sokka."

"Whoa, hold on there!" cried the teen, holding Aang back by the arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, to talk to Katara?"

"Can't it wait?"

"Actually, it's already waited long enough," the air bender replied cheerfully, prying his arm free, "and it's really important."

Sokka placed himself directly in Aang's path, suddenly dismayed. "But, you'll interrupt this beautiful moment!"

"Beautiful moment? What are you talking about?"

Sokka draped an arm across Aang's shoulders, turning him toward the beach below where Zuko was helping Katara with her new harness full of water pouches.

"True love," he sighed dreamily. "Even in the midst of running for our lives and trying to end a war," Sokka was ruminating wistfully, "they still found time to fall in love."

"What makes you think they're in love?"

"Just look at them! They're perfect together!"

The Avatar's initial reaction was to question his friend's sanity, and one brow rose as he looked askance at Sokka. Zuko and Katara were good friends, and Aang was grateful for that. After all the animosity that had lingered between them when Zuko first joined, it was a relief to see them so close.

But as his gaze drifted back to the couple on the beach while Sokka rambled incomprehensibly about chores and cooking water, doubts began to blossom in Aang's mind.

"It seems kind of…unexpected."

"Pft! Are you kidding, I've seen this coming for weeks!" Sokka sniffed back a happy tear. "Those too have got it so bad for each other!"

This couldn't be possible. Zuko was fully aware of the whole problem with the Avatar State, and Aang was certain that his fire-bending teacher would never do something like this. Why else would Zuko have been going out of his way to make sure Aang had every opportunity to be alone with Katara?

"This has been going on for _weeks_?"

"More like months, actually. If I had to guess, I'd say it started at the Solstice Festival. Of course, you're young so you probably never noticed it happening, but for those of us who are older and more mature, it's sooooo obvious!"

Now Aang was scrutinizing the scene before him, and weeks worth of interactions between his two friends suddenly took on drastically new meanings. He felt like a blind fool. Here was Zuko in broad daylight with Katara, his hands all over her; fastening buckles and helping to tug her dress smooth under the harness, gently pulling silky strands of her hair free from the confines of a wayward strap. They chatted and laughed and teased, and finally Katara wrapped Zuko in a tight hug. When Aang saw blushes blossom on both benders' cheeks, he felt his blood begin to boil with feelings of betrayal…and rage.

"Yep," Sokka concluded with satisfaction, "someday, when my sister marries the most powerful fire bender in the world, we can look back and say we watched the moment it all came together. Isn't it great, Aang? …Aang?"

When no answer came, he turned only to find an empty space where the Avatar had been.

"Eh, kids. They just don't get it."

Unconcerned, he merely shrugged, then went back to his sentimental observations sighing sappily all the while.

* * *

Toph was having a miserable day. Despite her best efforts to put on a brave face and focus on a solution rather than the problem at hand, her heart just wasn't in it. Instead, all she could do was worry, and that was something to which she simply was not accustomed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop going over the things she had said, and hadn't said, to her parents when she left.

By mid-day, she had given up all pretense of trying to help get things ready.

So she sat on a boulder away from the hustle and bustle of battle preparations, trying to organize her muddled thoughts. As she contemplated her guilt, a familiar footstep approached with a heaviness that seemed to match her own beleaguered mood. Somehow, that only served to bother her more.

"Shouldn't you be training or something?" she nagged glumly as Aang settled wearily beside her.

"I don't really feel like training."

"Then I hope you feel like fighting, because we're down to the wire now and you've got a job to do."

"Do you really think you have to remind me of that?" he retorted peevishly. "I know I have a job to do, Toph. I get it, okay! I don't need you, or Zuko, or Katara, or anyone else hunting me down to remind me of that today!"

"Hey, you came and sat on _my_ rock."

"Oh, well, _excuse me_ for invading your personal pity party, but you're not the only one with a lot on their mind!

"What is your problem?!" Toph shouted, rising angrily to her feet.

Aang opened his mouth to answer, but stopped as he spotted two figures coming up the hillock. Instead, he snapped open his glider. "_That's_ my problem," he growled under his breath, and took off into the air just as Zuko and Katara crested the rise.

"Aang, wait!" Katara called as he flew away. "Ugh, I missed him again! I've been trying to catch up to him all day."

"I keep missing him too," Zuko admitted with a note of concern, "and I need to talk to him."

"Good luck with _that_," huffed Toph as she began to tromp away. "Just try not to get your head bitten off if you _do_ manage to track him down."

Zuko crossed his arms with a scowl and Katara's brow wrinkled with worry.

"He's probably just nervous," she reasoned.

"Yeah, probably," agreed Zuko, but he didn't sound convinced.

* * *

The flurry of commotion that blanketed the small isle peaked with the sun, and as the day wore on into sunset, it subsided with the sun as well. The dazzling orange of the western sky bathed the gathered warriors on the beach in amber light. All their preparations were complete.

Away from the bulk of the crowd, the Avatar's teachers gathered around Appa, waiting for the signal to depart and wondering where Aang was when Sokka jogged up carrying an armload of paper. Sokka handed each of them a small stack bound by a hole in the corner tied with string.

"What's this for?" asked Zuko as he scanned over the top page.

"Those are your speech notes."

"Speech notes?"

"Yeah. You can't send all these people off to fight without a good pep talk. Who better to do that than the Avatar and his teachers?"

"Forget it," the prince interjected, thrusting the papers toward Sokka. "There's no way I'm saying this stuff."

"Me either," added Katara, shaking her head as she began to read aloud from her notes. " 'Let us all hold hands and lift our hearts for the joy of peace?' That sounds ridiculous!"

"I can't even read it," chimed in Toph.

"I know some of it sounds corny, but-"

"No, you idiot, I mean, I _can't read_ it!"

Sokka peeked over the top of the pages to look at the writing. "It is my penmanship…?"

"Hello! I'm _blind_!" She yelled as she smacked his head with the papers. "I can't read _any_thing!"

"Aaaaw man! Your speech had one of my best lines too." He took the booklet back and started flipping through the pages scribbling in changes. "Maybe if I reword this and move that, then Aang can…wait, where is Aang?"

"Actually, we where hoping you knew," admitted Katara.

"I haven't seen him since this morning, now that you mention it. Can't you find him, Toph?"

"Nope. He's not on the ground."

"No one has seen him," Renzu announced as he, Loki, and Ty Lee walked up.

"Well how is he supposed to read this speech if he's not here?"

"We don't have time for this," Zuko interjected. "If we don't leave at sunset, we may as well not bother leaving at all." He started to walk away, but stopped and turned back around when Sokka coughed conspicuously and found everyone staring meaningfully at him.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Well," Sokka started hesitantly, "I sort of promised everyone a speech."

"So give them a speech. We still need to find Aang."

"No one wants to hear _him_ talk," Renzu said good-naturedly. "They want to hear someone important!"

"Most of these people _are_ Fire Nation soldiers…" Ty Lee pointed out.

"Exactly! Everyone's really only interested in hearing from two people," added Sokka.

"And since one of them is busy throwing a hissy-fit at the moment," concluded Toph bitterly, "That's leaves _you_, Mr. Future Fire Lord."

Zuko let out a heavy breath. "Fine."

Although he was irritated that Aang wasn't there to do what the prince felt was the Avatar's duty, he understood Sokka's point. Many of these men were prepared to fly in the face of reason and fight against their own country; something needed to be said. So he and the others climbed into Appa's saddle and the bison flew up to hover just high enough for Zuko to be seen above the crowd.

Not for the first time, Zuko wished his uncle were here to give an encouraging word. He could use a piece of advice. Heck, he'd settle for some incomprehensibly absurd advice if it meant have Uncle Iroh here. Zuko sighed at the thought, and then cleared his throat nervously. The sound echoed across the beach as the surrounding ridges provided perfect natural acoustics.

"For the past century, my father, my grandfather, my great grand father, have told the people of the Fire Nation that this war was our duty, our destiny; that we were sharing the wealth and glory of the Fire Nation with rest of the world. But they lied. The war has been fought, and our people sent off to die, for no other reason than love of power.

"It's been as harmful to the Fire Nation as it has to the rest of the world. While Fire Lord Ozai has been taking over cities in the Earth Kingdom, our own towns are falling apart, and being overrun by thugs. Everything - every nation, every continent, every person - is out of balance.

"The upcoming battle isn't just about ending a senseless war; it's about keeping our world from being destroyed. This burden shouldn't be Aang's alone; it's ours too. The Fire Nation started this war, and now it's time we end it. Because if we allow Ozai to finish what Sozin started, then even the Avatar won't be able to save us."

"We can't expect him to do this alone; we all have to work together to set things right. This is _our_ fight. This is our _duty_. The Avatar may be the only one powerful enough to defeat Ozai, but one person alone cannot end 100 years of war. That's why I am here," he motioned toward the other teens standing beside him, "why they are here, why you are here. Together, with the Avatar, we _will_ restore peace and balance to the world."

Suddenly, as if the whole thing had been planned from the start, Aang burst out over the crowd on his glider and a roar of approval swept across the beach in the Avatar's wake. He continued to fly around as people dispersed toward their appointed ships.

Zuko and Katara had just been dropped off on Huo's ship, and Appa was flying away with the others when Aang landed on deck.

"Aang!" Katara cried happily, "There you are! We've been looking for you all day. Are you okay?"

She made a move forward to embrace him, but was forced to step back as he spun his glider in a flourish to close it. Before she could recover, he brushed past her with a brusque statement.

"Let's do this."

As he disappeared into the hold of the ship, Zuko and Katara exchanged worried glances. The prince then gazed up to the bridge balcony where Huo watched, and gave nod to let the Commander know that they were ready to depart.

A signal flare was launched into the twilit sky and, as one collective unit, the fleet of Water Tribe and Fire Navy ships set sail toward their fate.

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**Author's note:**

Okay, so THAT took me a little longer than I expected. I cannot apologize enough for the long wait between chapters. For those of you still reading, thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I have no idea how long it will take me to do the last "episode" but I'll try not to wait a year until I post again! 


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